Metamorphosis and identity: The individual in society in "Guillaume de Palerne" [thesis] PDF
Preview Metamorphosis and identity: The individual in society in "Guillaume de Palerne" [thesis]
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Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms international A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North ZeeO Road. Ann Arpor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 9524206 Metamorphosis and identity: The individual in society in “Guillaume de Palerne” Sconduto, Leslie Ann, Ph.D. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, 1995 Copyright ©1995 by Sconduto, Leslie Ann. All rights reserved. 300 N. Zeeb RA Ann Arbor. MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. METAMORPHOSIS AND IDENTITY: THE INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY IN GUILLAUME DE PALERNE BY LESLIE ANN SCONDUTO A dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in French Written under the direction of Professor Mary B. Speer and approved by £ New Brunswick, New Jersey January, 1995 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 1995 Leslie Ann Sconduto ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Metamorphosis and Identity: The Individual in Society in Guillaume de Palerne by LESLIE ANN SCONDUTO Dissertation Director: Professor Mary B. Speer Guillaume de Palerne. an anonymous roman d'aventure of the late twelfth century, offers a complex portrayal of identity based on the correlation between the individual's core identity-the fundamental character initially fixed at birth by natal and bodily identity-and the individual's various relational identities. Close readings of the text show that the protagonists simultaneously incorporate various antithetical notions such as change/constancy, individuality/conformity, and wild/civilized. The poet uses the hidden, disguised, and transformed identities of the protagonists to accentuate the unreliability of external signs and the importance of carefully interpreting the elusive truth that is concealed behind appearances. Chapter I examines the characteristics of the ideal knight and his social role in Guillaume de Palerne. shows that the poet undermines the stereotypical vilain-courtois opposition, and concludes that the poet presents the eponymous hero as the model for noblemen to emulate. Chapter II analyzes the four different meanings of aventure in the ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. romance, discusses the establishment of heroic identity through a venture. and offers a generic definition of the roman d'aventure. Chapter III shows how the poet uses love, duality, and recognition scenes to play with the identity established by aventure. It also demonstrates that the protagonists are portrayed both as textual individuals within the context of Guilllaume de Palerne and as generic types--the hero and the heroine-having their counterparts in other romances. Chapter IV examines the narrative strategies of the text and discusses the poet's use of authorial interventions, multiple points of view, and renarration to highlight either his professional identity or the subjectivity of individual experience. Chapter V compares the Guillaume poet's handling of the werewolf motif with that found in other werewolf tales of the high Middle Ages and argues that Guillaume de Palerne represents an important reworking of the motif. It shows how the werewolf form functions as a disguise in the romance and concludes that the poet uses the theme of metamorphosis to accentuate the coexistence of change and constancy within the individual. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study, which has undergone a considerable metamorphosis since its inception, owes its existence to many people. My parents and family instilled in me a love for reading and an unwavering faith in my ability to succeed. My colleagues offered their friendship and support. Over the years I have had many fine teachers and professors, all of whom have served as role models. I am especially indebted to the members of my dissertation committee-Professors Mary Speer, Frangois Cornilliat, Richard Lockwood, and Susan Crane--for their invaluable suggestions. But I am most grateful to Professor Speer, who introduced me to medieval literature and constantly challenged me to refine my ideas and improve my writing style. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION To Eugene, my romance hero, who offered me love and encouragement. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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